The Coming of the American Revolution 1763-1776

Following the British success in the French and Indian War, ending in 1763, the British now had to face the problem of being the sole major power on American soil. The two short term problems that the British faced were in dealing with the “Indian” problem and the debt that was accrued in defeating the French and the Indian tribes. The first problem was relieved by a 1763 decree to keep British colonial efforts east of the Appalachians but the second problem was not so easy to contain. Over the next thirteen years, the British went from benevolent colonial rulers to hated colonial overlords, in the eyes of the American colonists.

In addition to the British Parliament’s Navigation Acts (tightening regulations on sea trade and use of the British navy) and the Proclamation of 1763, there were other regulations that were placed upon the American colonists. The Sugar Act of 1764 cut the duty (or tax) on sugar and molasses and strict enforcement of collecting the taxes on such goods. The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited the printing and use of colonial currency, requiring instead that use of the British currency as the sole point of commerce in the colonies. 

The Currency Act, in particular, was a frustrating law for the Americans because of the relationships built during the French and Indian War (the colonial defense plan, the Albany Plan, included a provision for intercolonial taxation). The Stamp Act of 1765 taxed all paper items and transactions, which damaged the burgeoning American newspaper industry and other leaders (such as lawyers and printers). The frustration with the aforementioned acts led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty in 1765, led by Sam Adams and Patrick Henry, in an effort to prevent the Stamp Act by protestation.